Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Beyond Hope to New Hope 200k

*** Update 3 (1/10/14) ***
RUSA-HQ has approved  the rescheduling for Sunday, January 12th.  Note: this is now a RUSA sanctioned event (the originally scheduled event was ACP sanctioned).  If you are currently on the roster, or would like to be added, please drop me a note by Saturday, 12 PM.

*** Update 2 (1/10/14) ***
The Eastern PA 200k rescheduled for January 11th has been postponed again, due to unsafe riding conditions that are expected to develop as a result flooding from heavy rain and melting ice jams, and with falling ice and rocks on River Rd.  A tentative rescheduling for Sunday, Jan 12th is pending an approval from RUSA-HQ.

*** Update 1 (1/1/14) ***
The Eastern PA 200k originally scheduled for January 4th has been postponed until January 11th, due to unsafe riding conditions that are expected to develop as a result of the pending winter storm.

*** Original Post ***
The 2014 is scheduled to kick off with The Beyond Hope to New Hope 200k Saturday, January 4th. Event details have been posted at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/R12ClubJan5.html
The course routing mainly uses primary roads, since these have the best chance of being cleared and treated for winter conditions.  However, our string of good luck with the weather looks like it is coming to an end as we kick off the new year of brevets.  There is still some uncertainly with the storm track, but there is a good chance of a significant weather event starting Thursday and continuing into Friday.  And on top of that, single digit temperatures are expected for Saturday AM -- this will be an extreme test of your cold weather gear! Please be sure to monitor this message board and PA website for updates, as the weather forecast firms up, since there is a very good chance that the winter weather headed our way will make conditions unsafe for riding -- an update will be posted by noon on Jan 1st.

Please note that the start location is the Blairstown Diner --  As illustrated in this map:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/BlairstownStartFinish.JPG
.... you will park your car in the upper parking lot at Footbridge Park in Blairstown.  You can then walk across the footbridge with your bike to the diner, where you can top-off with a good breakfast and sign-inAnd as in previous years, there is no entry fee for PA members in good standing -- you can renew your PA Membership by mail or at the start.
.
(The diner opens at 7AM).  The finish controle at the Blairstown Inn is just a couple of stores away from the diner.  Reminder: With the limited daylight, lights and reflective gear will be checked at the start.

***Rider Roster (as of 1/11/14) ***
1 Michael Anderson
2 Gavin Biebuyck
3 Jane M  Brown
4 Joe A Brown
5 Greg Bullock
6 Matthew Farrell
7 Doug Haluza
8 Donald Jagel
9 Eric Keller
10 Christopher Maglieri
11 Gary Mass
12 Chris Nadovich
13 Christine Newman
14 William Olsen
15 Tom Rosenbauer
16 Norman Smeal
17 Bob Torres
18 Leonard Zawodniak

If you're planning to ride, send me an e-mail to join the roster -- please let me know by the Saturday Noon before the event.

-Tom Rosenbauer
Eastern PA RBA

2013 Recap

Final results for 2013 have been posted at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/Results2013.pdf

Congratulations on all those hard-earned brevets -- collectively, we officially tallied 100,090 Km in completed brevets.  All those brevets added up to 996 RUSA points, placing Eastern PA 7th out of 53 regions.  Thank you for clipping-in and being a part of that success.  But of course, none of those brevets would've been possible, if not for all the volunteers who stepped up and helped out:
- Dan Aaron:  EM1240k
- Ron & Barb Anderson: EM1240k
- Dan Barbasch: EM1240k
- Gavin Biebuyck: 300k
- Clair Beiler: EM1240k
- Jim Bondra: EM1240k
- Jeffrey Butt: EM1240k
- Janice Chernekoff: 400k
- Jon Clamp: 300k, 400k, 600k Overnight
- Bob Dye: Dec R-12
- Bill Fischer: 400k, EM1240k
- John Fuoco: EM1240k
- Scott Franzen: EM1240k
- Lane Giardina : EM1240k
- Steve Hallett: EM1240k
- Jud & Jill Hand: EM1240k
- Don Jagel: Advisor, Feb. Jul. & Aug. R-12 Organizer
- Mary Johnson: EM1240k
- Eric Keller: EM1240k
- Dave Linchorst: Oct 150/200k
- Andrew Mead: Advisor, Jan, Mar, & Sep R-12 Organizer, 400k, 600k
- George Metzler: Mar. R-12,  Sep. R-12 BBQ
- Chris Nadovich: EM1240k
- Bill Olsen: Advisor, Feb & Dec R-12, 200/300k & Jul R-12 Organizer, 400k, 600k
- Curtis Palmer: Mar. R-12
- Susan Rodetis: EM1240k
- Chris Roth: EM1240k
- Hugo & Gloria Safar: EM1240k
- Paul Scearce: EM1240k
- Bill Slabonik: Jan., Mar. R-12, 600k Overnight & Finish, Oct 150/200k
- Norman Smeal: 300k, 400k
- Keith Spangler: Oct 150/200k, EM1240k
- Gilbert Torres : EM1240k
- Michael Wali: EM1240k
- Len Zawodniak: EM1240k

This was a year of many accomplishments -- too many to list completely -- but some selected ones I'd like to share with you include:
•There were eight Eastern PA Super Randonneurs this year: Gavin Biebuyck (3rd), Ed Dodd (2nd), Guy Harris (3rd), Don Jagel (2nd), Robin Landis, Bill Olsen (5th), Paul Scearce, and Norman Smeal.  Well Done!  Guy and Paul further distinguished themselves by completing the SR series on a fixed-gear!
Bill Olsen and Norman Smeal tied for the most mileage on the PA series, riding a total of 4,500 km of the 5,000 maximum possible on the schedule. Don Jagel (4,440 km) and Eric Keller (4,000 km) were also high-mileage riders.
•Six randonnuers completed an Eastern PA R-12 series: Clair Beiler, Jeffery Butt, Don Jagel (3rd), Eric Keller, Bill Olsen (3rd)  and Norman Smeal.  This is a select group, with only 8 individuals on the Honor Roll.
Norman Smeal also joined a select position on the Eastern PA Honor roll with the completion of a PA-5000, which consists of completing the following Eastern PA events within a four year period:  EM1240k, EM1000k, SR series, Fleche.

In 2014, there will be several domestic 1200k's to choose from.  The Eastern PA region will be offering many brevets for qualification and preparation including a complete SR series, Fleche and an R-12 series of monthly 200k’s.  But I’ll be counting on volunteers to help run them – a most welcome holiday gift to your RBA would be to have all the 2014 volunteer needs filled out before the first event on January 4th:
http://www1.mysignup.com/cgi-bin/view.cgi?datafile=pa_volunteers2014

-Tom Rosenbauer
Eastern PA RBA


Sunday, December 8, 2013

Le Retour du Stillwater 200k Ride Report

Preliminary results have been posted at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/PA200k_Results131207.pdf
Please let me know of any corrections or other issues.  Results will be submitted shortly, and become final, pending RUSA certification.

As I write this, snow is falling as another significant winter storm hits the region -- and less than 36 hours earlier, another big winter event barely cleared out with just hours before the starting time.  Once again, the weather gods have smiled on us.  But it was definitely winter conditions for the 15 participants that made it to the start at the Milford Bakery. Temperatures at the start were just above freezing and remained in the 30F's throughout the day.  A stiff wind out of the north and lingering dampness from all the rain the night before made it feel much colder than that. The sun poked through the clouds from time to time, and when it was out, it made for a pleasant day to be out for a winter day of riding.  But as for the riders out past sundown can attest to, the temperatures dropped like a rock and made for an extremely cold finish on the big descent from the Tunnel Road climb.

All 15 participants made it around the course in good time for another 100% finish -- well done!   Of note,
Clair Beiler and Jeffery Butt both completed their Eastern PA R-12 series, and joined the Honor Roll. Only 6 others have managed this accomplishment of stringing together 12 months of finishes on the Eastern PA schedule. Congratulations, and Well Done!  Also of note, first time participants Greg Bullock and Eric Smucker finished in good time, with Eric also completing his very first brevet and now officially a randonneur.

Doug Haluza took some nice photos that can be viewed at:
http://instagram.com/dhaluza
For those of you who may be railroad aficionados, this shot:
http://instagram.com/p/hoW2v6S0Lk/
... is a tunnel through the Lackawanna cut-off, which was an engineering marvel created in the early 1900's.  The route actually passed near parts of the cut-off at several points.  Check out this link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lackawanna_Cut-Off
... for an interesting write-up.

Clair Beiler writes: "..Tom, thanks for your efforts as RBA of the Eastern Pa Randonneurs again this year!! I want to personally thank you for your encouragement in my progression as a randonneur, with the culmination of my Eastern R-12 completion. ...this last one seemed as difficult as any, not in the ride itself necessarily, although my lack of riding the last 5 weeks had me laboring more than usual, but in the stupid little thoughts like “I hope I’m good enough to do this” or “please let my bike hold together”. These thoughts were still in my head on the long grind up Tunnel Rd. and Mt. Bethel Rd. Even though I could barely blink my eyes from the frigid evening air, Milford was a welcomed sight!!!  Having my nephew Eric and Scott Franzen with me all day certainly helped ..."

Bill Olsen writes: "...Looking at the forecast for the next week, it appears you made the right call to go forward with yesterday's R-12.  Couldn't have had a better day for a December ride...Thank's again for providing us all with the opportunity for a successful 2013, and looking forward to a great year of brevets in 2014...Have a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, and see you on the 4th...."

First finisher, Gavin Biebuyck writes: "...Nice ride - we were lucky with the weather, roads were dry and we just missed slushy conditions that were called for.  Although it never really warmed up it was a nice day for riding with some sun and good scenery and good company.  Many thanks to Bob Dye for getting up so early to see us off and for meeting us at the Portland controle...."

Special thanks to volunteer Bob Dye, who got everybody signed in at the start and on their way.  Bob also manned the first controle stop in Portland, making sure everyone got through there safely. It really makes me happy to have first time volunteers like Bob step up to help keep PA Randonneurs going.  And a really great Christmas present for your RBA would be to have the 2014 volunteer sign-up webpage:
http://www1.mysignup.com/cgi-bin/view.cgi?datafile=pa_volunteers2014
... filled up with volunteers before the first event on January 4th.  Thanks also, to volunteer Bill Olsen for manning the finish controle until I arrived.

This concludes the 2013 Eastern PA schedule.  The year-end mailing of final results and validated brevet cards will start rolling out in the coming weeks.  Hope you all have happy, and more importantly, a safe holiday!

-Tom Rosenbauer
Eastern PA RBA

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Our Local PAR Rando Celebrity

For those (like me) who may have missed this back in October, congratulations to Gavin for hitting it big on the local Celebrity scene, and for his promotion of our passion:
For a more legible version, follow this link to the Reading Eagle article:
Reading Eagle: Fitness Profile Gavin Biebuyck

Rex

Monday, November 18, 2013

Le Retour du Stillwater 200k

*** Update #1 (12/5/13) ***
Bob Dye will be greeting you at the start, and signing you in at the Milford Bakery start and checking your lights and reflective gear.  The bakery opens at 6AM, and offers some breakfast sandwiches made to order, along with other bakery items. Park your car in the big lot off of Church St -- there are "No Parking" signs posted at the lot, but PA Randonneurs has secured permission to use it for our event.  Bill Olsen will meet you at the pizzeria finish controle, but if you arrive before he does, you can get your card signed and left at the counter.  I'm keeping a close eye on the rain and snow in the forecast for Friday night and early Saturday morning.  At this time, it looks like the precipitation will clear the area before the start.  But be sure to monitor the website and message board for any last minute updates.

*** Original Post ***
New PA Randonneur member, Greg Bullock, scouted out the course this past weekend, and reports:

"....At mile 82.1, I did not see a sign for "Airport Rd.". There is a sign for "Pequest Rd.", which looks askew, but nothing for Airport. As the cue sheet notes, it is the "1st L" which we made. It is obviously Airport Rd., as there is an airport on your right a mile or so down the road. ... Also, Some extra caution is advised on the descent on Rte 579 in the dark at the top of Tunnel Rd. That section of road is a major deer haunt after dark. Also, descending Pattenburg-Little York Rd. is also a high volume deer area. The route is exceptional. I'm very familiar with the first 30 miles and the last 30 miles, having lived in Hunterdon, Warren and Northampton Counties most of my life. So, I'm looking forward to the ride... My take-away from this recon, was that I'll be doing some extra ascent training up in the Hunterdon/Warren hills over the next two weeks!"

*** Roster as of 12/6/13 ***
1 Michael Anderson
2 Clair Beiler
3 Gavin Biebuyck
4 Greg Bullock
5 Jeffery S Butt
6 Jonathan Clamp
7 J Scott Franzen
8 Doug Haluza
9 Donald Jagel
10 Eric Keller
11 Christopher Maglieri
12 Gary Mass
13 William Olsen
14 Tom Rosenbauer
15 Norman Smeal
16 Eric Smucker

Monday, November 4, 2013

Stillwater 200k Ride Report

Preliminary results have been posted at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/PA200k_Results131102.pdf
Please let me know of any corrections or other issues.  Results will be submitted shortly, and become final, pending RUSA certification.

Last year, the November 200k had to be rescheduled because of Super Storm Sandy.  And the year before that, we had the Halloween snow storm that downed many trees and left much of the area without power. But this time around, we managed to continue the string of near ideal weather conditions we've had for the recent events.  Temperatures at the start were in the high 40F's and warmed up later in the day to the 60F's. Early morning sunshine gave way to some clouds later in the day, and a few riders encountered a brief spritz of rain. Some of the late changing trees managed to keep their colorful foliage despite all the rain and wind from the day before.

All 18 participants made it around the course in good time for another 100% finish -- well done!   Of note, Christopher Maglieri completed his first PA event, and joined fellow riders Tom Matragano and Peter Phillips to set a new course record of 7:58.  This trio obviously didn't linger too long at the controles!

Jim Holman writes: "...Thanks for organizing the Stillwater 200K this past Saturday.  It was another beautiful autumn day with great riding partners and, like you said, it was a very nice route.  I like how you scheduled this brevet and last month's brevet so as to take in as much of the fall foliage as possible..."

Mike Anderson, who made the long trip down from the Boston area to join us, writes: "...Thanks again, it was a great ride, and a great time!..."

The 2013 Eastern PA series concludes with the Retour du Stillwater 200k on December 7th -- we'll essentially be riding the same course again, except we'll start in Milford, and ride it in the reverse direction.  Event details have been posted at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/R12ClubDec3.html
... as usual, drop me a note by the Thursday before the event to join the roster.

-Tom Rosenbauer
Eastern PA RBA

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Stillwater 200k

For the November R-12, we'll be running the Stillwater 200k -- although the fall foliage has peaked, there are still plenty of trees with some leaves remaining.  A volunteer preride was completed by your's truly on Monday.  Temperatures at the start were a chilly 28F but warmed up to the 60F's by midday -- it was certainly one of the best day's of the year for a ride.  Now that the former Portland Diner has been reopened as the Portland Bagel and Deli, that is the start location -- it opens at 4:30AM, so you have plenty of time for breakfast there.  However, please note that you should park your car at the Portland Park and Ride (see event webpage for map and directions):
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/R12ClubNov2.html
The finish is at Teresa's Pizza, about one half mile from the Park and Ride: after signing-in at the pizzeria, you can coast all the way downhill from there to the Park and Ride and your car (directions are on the cuesheet).

*** Course Notes ***
The current cuesheet is Draft 10 dated 10/29/13, with some updates from my  volunteer preride.  In general, the roads are in great shape, with many stretches of freshly paved asphalt -- some sections didn't even have lines painted yet.  However, there is some rain in the forecast, so you should be mindful of wet leave hazards that may develop.  Additionally:
-Mile 120.9: There is a reroute here to follow the detour for Station Rd: the bridge on Station Rd is under construction and not passable.  As noted on the cuesheet, you will be following the orange detour signs for 2 turns.  This detour will put you on Rt 94 a bit sooner, and although there is a lot of traffic on that main road, the shoulder is very good.
-Mile 126.9: The route puts you on a road that is closed to car traffic but is passable by foot.  You should dismount, and walk past the two barriers.  The course routing on State St through this "closed" stretch keeps you off of a busy section of Rt 611 which has marginal shoulders.

*** Roster (as of 10/31) ***
1 Michael Anderson
2 Clair Beiler
3 Joe A Brown
4 Jane M  Brown
5 Jeffery S Butt
6 Matthew Farrell
7 William Fischer
8 James P. Holman
9 Donald Jagel
10 Eric Keller
11 Christopher Maglieri
12 Tom Matragrano
13 Chris Nadovich
14 William Olsen
15 Peter C Phillips
16 Tom Rosenbauer
17 Norman Smeal
18 Bob Torres


If you plan to join the roster participate, please drop me a note by Thursday, November 1st.

And as always, be sure to monitor the message board and website for any last minute updates.
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/
http://parandonneurs.blogspot.com/

-Tom Rosenbauer
Eastern PA RBA

Sunday, October 20, 2013

PA150/200k Ride Report



Photos compliments of Dave Linkchost

Preliminary results have been posted at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/PA200k_Results131019.pdf
Please let me know of any corrections or other issues.  Results will be submitted shortly, and become final, pending RUSA/ACP certification.

The string of near ideal weather conditions continued for the October 150/200k classic.  With the colorful fall foilage peaking, it was a great day to be out on the bike.  All 22 participants finished for another 100% finish, with 5 opting for the 150k course.  Of note Norman Smeal completed his PA R-12 series, and joined the Eastern PA Honor Roll.  Norman has also completed his PA-5000 this year, with his Endless Mountains 1240k finish.  Well done, Norman!  Also of note, Tom Matragrano completed his first PA event, and I believe, is only his second brevet.  Hailing from Long Island, Tom M. told me he was looking to try a hillier brevet than the first one he completed on Long Island -- I trust he wasn't disappointed!  Indeed, this fall classic is one of the hillier courses, mile for mile, and Paul Scearce managed to get around it on a fixed gear -- although a couple of the steeper climbs required the 24 inch gear.

Special thanks to volunteer Dave Linchorst, who manned the secret controle on Fox Gap and swept the course to the finish.  Dave is a member of the Berks County cycle club, and this was his first experience with randonneuring.   And special thanks also to 150k participants Bill Slabonik and Keith Spangler who volunteered and helped out at the hostel finish with the BBQ and cleanup.  It's volunteers like these, who really make it all possible to run these events.

Norman Smeal writes: "...Thank you once again for giving us the chance to get together for a bike ride.
Beautiful course filled with river crossings and a few hills.  Weather was a bit chilly in the morning, but warmed up nicely.  All followed up with some good grilling at the end. ..."

Bill Olsen writes: "...As promised, it was a fantastic day for a fantastic ride with a fantastic group!  The hamburgers and chicken at the end WAS the icing on the cake.  Thanks again.  It was nice to see familiar climbs out of Easton, Fox Gap and Staats, but for some reason I forgot several including Geigel Hill.  I'll remember that one for quite some time. ..."

The next event is the Stillwater 200k on November 2nd.  Event details have been posted at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/R12ClubNov2.html
... as usual, drop me a note by the Thursday before the event to join the roster.

-Tom Rosenbauer
Eastern PA RBA
-organizer

Monday, October 7, 2013

PA150/200k

The PA Randonneurs fall series kicks off on October 19 and you have a choice of either a 150k or 200k course.  The start/finish will be at the Weisel hostel, with breakfast served 1 hour before the start  We'll also have the traditional post-ride BBQ, where we can recap the accomplishments of the past year and look forward to the challenges of the coming year.
PA Members can register by sending me an e-mail, and pay the $30 entry fee when they sign-in.  Non-members can register by mailing in the registration form posted at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/PA150_200K_A.html

With only about 10.5 hours of daylight available, lights and reflective gear will be required, unless you have previously finished the course in less than 9.5 hours.

It's also time to cast you vote for two board members at RUSA-HQ.  Bill Bryant, RUSA member #7, is one of the founding members of RUSA and one of the giants of our sport.  He has certainly earned one of my votes.   There are several other excellent candidates you can choose from as well:
http://www.rusa.org/Download/2013-ballot.pdf  ..

... you can cast your vote at this link:

http://www.rusa.org/vote-2013.html

Monday, September 9, 2013

Silver Spring 200k Ride Report

Photo Compliments of Mary Gersema

Preliminary results have been posted at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/PA200k_Results130907.pdf
Please let Tom know of any corrections or other issues.  Results will be submitted shortly, and become final, pending RUSA/ACP certification.

We have certainly enjoyed a nice string of great weather on brevet day this summer.  Saturday's Silver Spring 200 was no exception.  A slightly chilly start soon dawned to beautiful blue skies with light winds, exceptionally low humidity, and a high temperature of 80.  It was a much nicer day than the previous weekend's high temperatures and high humidity endured by the pre-riders.  Eighteen riders departed the start near Atglen at 7am and headed for the Susquehanna River.  I offered my usual pre-ride talk along with a cautionary forewarning of the challenges awaiting them in the second leg and the need to keep a mindful eye on the clock until at least the third control.  Most riders sported arm warmers and fingered gloves which would be appreciated during the first few downhill miles along the Octoraro Creek.      

Eventual first finishers Gavin Biebuyck, Bill Fischer, Don Jagel, and Norman Smeal took my pre-ride advice to heart and checked into the third control at the halfway mark just over four hours later.  These front-runners were closely followed by a large contingent of the rest of the pack led by the tandem team of visiting DC Randonneurs Ed Felker and Mary Gersema.  All riders cleared the controle within the time limit.  With the recent closure of the Mt. Nebo General Store, we staffed the controle with cool drinks and bananas which everyone seemed to enjoy.  We will surely miss the deli and ice cream counter of the Mt. Nebo store, but it was nice to get a live check-in on rider progress and conditions.  Organizers like knowing these things.

Midday temperatures were approaching 80 and riders were definitely warmed up as they continued through Lancaster County farmland on their way back to the finish.  The terrain softens slightly and allows more time to enjoy the sights and smells of farmland.  The field spread out as everyone settled into a comfortable pace.  A few strategically placed SPOT trackers allowed us to watch rider progress.  And stops.  Organizers like knowing these things.

Co-organizer George Metzler once again opened Café Metzler for the occasion.  A menu of grilled hamburgers, hotdogs and brats was just the motivation needed to bring the group to the finish.  Motivation is high as over half the field posted sub-10 hour finishes, including first-time and now freshly minted randonneur CJ Arayata.  Most of the rest were not all that far behind.  Several riders posted finishes after long absences from brevets, including Ivan Umble, Chris Roth, and our own RBA Tom Rosenbauer.  On the other side of that coin is Bill Olsen who came out to loosen up his legs having just finished the Granite Anvil 1200k a week ago and will be headed out for the Last Chance 1200k this week.  I'm pleased to report that each and every starter reached the Café and was served.



Riders enjoyed time at the finish to eat, drink, relax and share stories from their adventure.  It's a nice way to finish a ride.  Hearing their tales is my favorite part.


Norman Smeal writes:
Thank you for putting on the event yesterday.  Nice to finish at Cafe' Metzler for some good home grilling.  Great ride, and the ride was not as bad as the profile appeared.  The few climbs were not all that bad, Douts Hil Rd. at mile 59 was a kicker.  It also did not hurt that it was probably the best day of the summer, perfect day for a ride.

Ed Felker, a.k.a. The Daily Randonneur, has posted a very nice ride summary at: http://thedailyrandonneur.wordpress.com/2013/09/08/a-brevet-in-amish-country/
and his full set of photographs at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8193389@N06/sets/72157635438295369/

Mary Gersema's ride summary is posted on her Chasing Mailboxes blog at:
http://chasingmailboxes.com/2013/09/09/harvest-time-and-200k-brevets/
and her pictures are at:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/gersema/sets/72157635430512899/

CJ's pictures:
https://plus.google.com/photos/105970402842803211625/albums/5921706616700424577


Our next event is the fall classic 150k/200k at the Quakertown hostel which coincidentally includes food at the finish.  http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/PA150_200K_A.html

As always, I would like to thank George Metzler for being my co-conspirator for this brevet and for hosting a crowd of hungry randonneurs.  Without his help, this would be just another hilly Pennsylvania brevet.

Andrew Mead
-organizer

Sunday, September 1, 2013

September R12: Silver Spring 200k

*** Update #1 (9/6/13) ***
The Dutch-Way Farm market opens at 6AM.  The start/finish is 4 miles away (~7 minutes according to googlemaps).  You can follow the cue sheet instructions from mile 124.6.  The traffic light for the Rt. 41 crossing is visible from Dutch-Way.  The start is ~1/4 mile past the finish on the right.

*** Roster (as of 9/6/13) ***
1 CJ Arayata
2 Clair Beiler
3 Gavin Biebuyck
4 Bill Blank
5 Jeffery S Butt
6 Eric Dahl
7 Matthew Farrell
8 Edward R Felker
9 William Fischer
10 Mary Gersema
11 Judson L Hand
12 Donald Jagel
13 R. Mark Kaufman
14 Eric Keller
15 Andrew D Mead
16 George Metzler
17 Chris Nadovich
18 William Olsen
19 Tom Rosenbauer
20 Michael Ross
21 Chris Roth
22 Norman Smeal
23 Ivan M Umble
24 Leonard Zawodniak

*** Original Post ***
We're returning to Lancaster County in September with the second running of the Silver Spring 200k.  The route is slightly reworked to smooth out some of the rough edges. 

Starting out near Atglen, PA you'll wind your way south though the Octoraro watershed, meandering for a while by the bucolic Octoraro Creek, eventually entering Maryland on the way to Port Deposit along the Susquehanna River. 

The route heads upstream from Port Deposit where you will be treated to a rare stretch of “River Road” that is generally level. Enjoy it while you can, for once you spy the Conowingo Dam, the challenges begin.  The route continues northwesterly for the length of the Conowingo Reservoir as we pass through farmland located atop a bluff overlooking the Susquehanna.  Naturally, the roads themselves are sprinkled with numerous dips and climbs as we cross numerous creeks that empty into the Susquehanna.  The route skips the dip into Fishing Creek (ironically, just written up in the local paper) and instead stays on top of the bluff as we head toward the Muddy Run Pumped Hydro facility.  Riders from last time will be thankful for the omission.  From Muddy Run, the roads plunge you back toward the level of the Susquehanna to take you past the Tuquan Glen Nature Preserve before the route's toughest climb, Douts Hill Rd up to the Mt. Nebo controle. 

Upon departing Mt. Nebo, the route descends (with a few climbs sprinkled in) to visit Safe Harbor. Instead of a climb up River Rd towards Highville or the long slog up to Conestoga that several of you know and love so well, we’ll follow yet another escape from Safe Harbor that features a more gradual ascent and, more importantly, shifts the route toward the Salunga controle to roads with less car traffic.

The route remains unchanged from the 2012 edition between the Salunga controle and the finish.  This includes the finish cook-out at George Metzler's house.

There are a few notes from the pre-ride.
1. The cue sheet has been updated to Draft 2 (9/1/13) to account for the latest round of "is the turn marked or not" changes that seem to plague Lancaster County.
2.  Businesses that previously served as controles for Controle 2 in Port Deposit and Controle 3 at Mt. Nebo are no longer.  The updated cue sheet notes additional services on course to supplement.  As a word of caution, the route between Port Deposit and Salunga features extremely limited services so you'll want to plan accordingly. 
3.  There are several strategically placed portions of new asphalt, including a few on some descents.  Remember to listen to your guardian angel. 
4. We finally documented the turn every brevet organizer want to place on a cue sheet:

Addition details are posted on the event website:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/R12ClubSep3.html

Drop me or RBA Tom Rosenbauer a note if you plan to join us.  And as always, be sure to check back on the website and message board for updates.

Andrew Mead - Organizer


Tuesday, August 20, 2013

August's Hawk's Nest Ride Report

Preliminary results have been posted at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/PA200k_Results130817.pdf

The weather certainly cooperated, and probably was one of the 10-best days of the years for a ride.  All 16 starters  made excellent time and finished for another 100% finish rate -- congratulations for being part of that success.  Of note, there were 3 first-time Eastern PA participants:
-Jane Brown
-Jim Holman
-Scotty Steingart
Well done!  Jim and Scotty also completed their very first brevet ever, and Scotty also joins a select list of first timers who came in as a first finisher.

These first time participants just need to complete 11 more rides of 200k or more, to earn their R-12 award -- just like Jeff Butt, who completed his R-12 on this event.  Jeff is looking to ride 3 more PA events in the coming months, and he'll also notch an Eastern PA R-12.

Grace Pineda writes: "...It was one of the best riding days ever, but the route was The Best.  Even compared to your other spectacular routes, this was a masterpiece.  Love the long rolling stretches. Not as much climbing, but what there was delivered sufficient pain to be memorable. Thank you and Don. Thanks also to Jane and the other riders from the Philly area (Berks?) who let me ride with them...."


Matt Farrell writes: "...I wanted to thank both you and Don for your work on the Hawk's Nest 200K yesterday. Especially being just a few days after the completion of the Endless Mountains 1240k. 
After my completion of The Big Wild Ride in Alaska. I had some concerns that any other ride would be lacking in fun & scenery. Happily I was proven wrong during Saturday's ride. The ride was just what I needed to instill in my mind how fortunate we are to have such beautiful choices of rides locally and fine people to share riding them with. It was great to reconnect with the others that had just complete their big rides of the year by sharing our stories while pedaling thru the Promise Land area. The newer leg to Eldred was a very welcomed change from staying on Rt. 97 thru Hawk's Nest....."

Jim Holman writes: "...Many thanks to you and organizer Don Jagel for your time and energy in making this ride possible.  Thanks also go to Scott Franzen for inviting me as a guest rider. The weather could not have been much better, the course was enjoyable and scenic, and our group of riders worked well together.  All in all, it was a fun day...."

Norman Smeal writes: "...Yeasterday was a fantastic day ..."

Special thanks to organizer Don Jagel, for running the start controle and sending the riders off on their way, and then greeting them at the finish controle, to sign everyone in and make sure everyone was in safely.

The Eastern PA summer schedule concludes with Andrew Mead's Silver Spring 200k on September 7.  This is fantastic route that heads all the way down to Port Deposit in Maryland.  Although Andrew tells me he's taken a few of the climbs out, you'll want to bring some low, climbing gears along for this one.  Cafe Metzler will be open at the finish for a postride BBQ.  Event details have been posted at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/R12ClubSep3.html
... as usual, drop me a note by the Thursday before the event (9/5).


Regards,

-Tom Rosenbauer
Eastern PA RBA

Monday, August 12, 2013

August R-12: Hawks Nest 200k


*** Update 1 (8/16) ***
Looks like the weather is shaping up to be fantastic, with low humidity and mild temperatures on tap. 

The Water Gap diner has promised to have the grill fired-up by 6AM, so you can top off with a good breakfast before the start.  Organizer, Don Jagel will be meeting you there at the start to send you on your way and  greeting you at the finish.  Please note the parking instructions posted on the event website:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/WaterGapParking.pdf

There are a number of first-time participants, and I trust that the regular riders will extend them all a warm welcome and perhaps share a few miles with them.

And of course, the message board should **always be monitored** for any last minute updates or changes.

Have a safe ride!

*** Roster as of 8/16 ****
1 Clair Beiler
2 Jane M  Brown (first brevet)
3 Joe A Brown
4 Jeffery S Butt
5 Jonathan Clamp
6 Matthew Farrell
7 Joe Fillip
8 J Scott Franzen
9 Jim Holman (first brevet)
10 Robin C Landis
11 Peter C Phillips
12 Althea Grace Pineda
13 Norman Smeal

14 Scotty Steingart (first brevet)


*** Original Post ***
With summer weather upon us, the August 17th Hawk's Nest 200k course will be heading north into Promised Land, where the temperatures are typically several degrees cooler.  Most of the route is shaded, which will also bring some relief from the heat.  Riders typically finish this course about an hour faster than other Eastern   PA 200k's.  Event details are at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/R12ClubAug1.html

If you liked to join the roster, please send me an e-mail by Thursday.  

Course Notes:
-If you've never been across the Rt 80 bridge near Water Gap, it's a little bit tricky.  You need to look for a sidewalk/ramp about 50 yards past the Rt 80 underpass which you will cross under.  The picture below shows the ramp on the left, which is in between the road you will be traveling (on the right) and Rt 80 (far left):


You will be facing on-coming traffic as you go across the bridge.


The Water Gap Diner will be opening at 6AM if you'd like to top off with a good breakfast before the start.

Reminder: Parking is behind the Water Gap Diner -  Directions are posted here:

The Water Gap diner has promised to have the grill fired-up by 6AM, so you can top off with a good breakfast before the start.  


*** Don Jagel's Course Notes for the July event  ***
Overall, road conditions were good, with no major obstructions, or detours.  During my ride, traffic was light, even in Port Jervis.  Several locations riders should take some extra caution include:

Mile 0.0: A construction zone at the very beginning of the route on Broad Street, before turning onto River Road.  The traffic is squeezed into a single lane, so be aware of any inattentive drivers.

Mile 19.4: Deli is closed for business.

Mile ~43.0 On Kimble/Martin Road (about 43 miles), which is the road that passes all the big satellite dishes, I did notice a pothole/collapse starting to develop over a culvert.  This hole is currently only about 8 inches in diameter and more than 1 foot deep, and will probably grow over time.  No big deal, and easy to avoid.  Most riders will probably not even notice it.

Mile ~95:  Along Jager Road (about mile 95) a partial road collapse has traffic squeezed to the left side of the road for a short distance.  Be aware of traffic coming down the hill towards you as there is limited space.

Mile ~125.1  At the end of the ride, as Old Mine Road passes under Rt. 80, there is a construction zone that is set up with concrete Jersey barriers.  Be careful passing through this area and be sure you stay in the travel lane (towards the left), as it is possible to end up on the wrong side of the barriers.  Also be aware that there are several grooves in the concrete roadway that could potential catch the tire of an unsuspecting rider.  There is no shoulder to the road in this area making the sharp left hand turn onto the sidewalk over the Delaware River a bit more difficult if traffic is heavy.

A good portion of the route is shaded keeping hot temperatures somewhat bearable.


Monday, July 15, 2013

July's Hawks Nest Ride Report: There's always a learning lesson ...


Gavin's new ride for the BWR1200k - a Swiss Army Bike

13 riders clipped in for July's Hawks Nest 200k. Preliminary results have been posted at
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/PA200k_Results130713.pdf
... please let me know of any corrections or other issues.  Results will be submitted shortly, and become final, pending RUSA/ACP certification.

As visiting DC Randonneur Maile Neel noted: "...We could not have been more fortunate with weather, threading the needle between sweltering heat and pouring rain ...".  Although the heat and humidity started to kick-in the last 20 miles or so,  there hardly can be any complaints, given the steamy June and July we've had so far, and the 1-week heat wave in the forecast as I write this.

I know there's always first time for everything, but quite remarkably, after 9 editions going all the way back to 2009, the string of 100% completions for the Hawk's Nest 200k was finally snapped.  The streak was broken by no other than Gavin Biebuyck who typically is among the first finishers, but this time recorded his very first DNF ever on a PA brevet.  But he did so with a spectacular mechanical.  In looking at the bright side, if something like this had to happen, better now than up in Alaska on the BWR1200k which is where Gavin will be headed this week.  And he is certainly to be commended on his resourcefulness on figuring out a way to get back on your own power, as detailed in the following account from Gavin:

"... From what I can tell my rear derailleur broke at the plastic body surrounding the upper pivot mounting bolt (the bolt/spring was still attached to the frame hanger after the incident) and the derailleur then hit the fender stay (breaking it) and then the frame seat stay (bending it).  The rear tire exploded immediately after the derailleur break with a 6" tear in the tire and inner tube - the tire could not be booted and I had to DNF after a couple hours of searching for a replacement 650B tire size.  See attached photo showing damage to frame (steel Boulder Bicycle frame built by Waterford), showing dropout/hanger still aligned (with replacement SRAM Apex deraileur we found at store) and showing the broken Campy Champ Triple derailleur on the floor next to the bike (plastic body on a Campy - what is the world coming to!).
Gavin's "Catastrophic" Mechanical
I was riding fairly fast down the hill from the Promised Land Exxon controle and I rolled over the rumble strips in the road when the incident occurred.  I don't think I ran over any debris but looking at the damage I have to believe that I hit something to have caused this or something got caught in the chain causing the derailleur cage to stick/rotate/break.  The chain was intact - we had to use pliers to remove the master link at the shop when replacing the derailleur.  The derailleur jockey wheels were both attached so not a failure here.  I had replaced the chain Friday - brand new SRAM with connex link so chain does not seem to blame.

Found a nice bike shop in Hawley (Sawmill Cycles) - manager Mike Johnson was nice enough to spend lots of his time trying to track down tires in my 650B size, selling me a derailleur that had to be removed from a bike for sale, meeting me at 6 pm to exchange the rental bike for my bike which I left behind at their other store in Honesdale. After I found the bike shop after walking/scootering the bike a few miles into Hawley we spent some time evaluating options - no Campy stuff so ended up using a SRAM Apex which surprisingly actually shifted OK with the Campy 10-speed bar-end shifters - at least 5-6 cogs seemed to be usabe - I only was counting on having the 2 chainring gears after this workaround.  Surprisingly no spokes broke (some were bent) and I managed to true the wheel sufficiently to fit it with some bending of the rear steel triangle. The shop then had their sister shop in Honesdale deliver a spare 650 tire which turned out to be wrong size followed by a mountain bike 28.5" tire - too fat for the frame.  All this took 2-3 hours so by the time I decided to rent a bike it was too late to make the next controle - the rental was at their Honesdale shop.  The owner of the stores, Dan Corrigan likes to restore antique bikes so I got to see a most interesting 1950 Swiss Army bike (single speed, built like a bomb with a wheel lock, drum brake, all kinds of bags, old style dyno front/rear lights, etc.)

The trip back to the Water Gap was about 50 miles from Honesdale but was quick because mostly downhill - Route 6 to Route 402 - rental was an old Redline cross bike (the owner used to race on this bike and was kind enough to lend to me) with skinny tires that flew.  Route 402 was a little busy until I-84 but was then a nice ride south all the way to Route 209.

I learned a few things: (1) carry a spare tire when you use obscure tire sizes other than 700C!; (2) a 650 tire (like the small tires some Tri bikes take) is smaller than 650B; (3) some new mountain bikes have wheels sized at 28.5" and these are in fact 650B but the knobby tire they had could not fit between the chainstays on my frame (unlike the 29ers that are really 700c); and, (4) carry an extra derailleur!

...Thanks to Don Jagel for helping me track down a bike store and being patient while my SPOT tracker probably threw him for a loop as it traveled 15 miles northwest to Honesdale as I got a ride to the other bike store to pick up the rental..."

Special thanks to organizers Don Jagel and Bill Olsen  who ran the whole show from start to finish, and handling the "Unexpected Circumstances".  This allowed me to to catch up on EM1240 preparations and keep several other balls I'm juggling right now, from dropping on the ground.  Bill is of course, is headed out to the Big Wild Ride 1200k which is starting next weekend -- you can follow his progress with PA SPOT Tracker #5 at this link:
http://bike.talloakfarm.com/spot_map.html

And the following Eastern PA participants will also be riding with Bill on the BWR1200k:
Chip Adams
Clint Provenza
Gavin Biebuyck
Gregory Conderacci
Kelly Smith
Matt Farrell
Sam Collins
William Fischer
PA Randonneurs Bill Olsen, Bill Fischer, and Gavin Biebuyck ready to start the BWR 1200k
Photo compliments of Gavin B.


Best of luck to all them for a successful, and safe ride.

Next up, is the Endless Mountains 1240k -- Volunteer opportunities have been posted at:
http://www2.mysignup.com/cgi-bin/view.cgi?datafile=em1240k_2013



Tom Rosenbauer
Eastern PA RBA

Friday, July 5, 2013

July R-12: Hawks Nest 200k

*** Update #2 (7/12)  ***
Hopefully, the cold front that came through last night and pushed out some of the humidity will hang in there for Saturday. Although the forecast is calling for some scattered showers and increasing humidity, it certainly promises to be one of the better days for a bike ride than we've had in a long time.  And looking ahead to next week, more heat and humidity is again headed our way.

The Water Gap diner has promised to have the grill fired-up by 6AM, so you can top off with a good breakfast before the start.  Organizer, Don Jagel will be meeting you there at the start to send you on your way.  And fellow organizer Bill Olsen will be meeting you at the finish.  Please note the parking instructions posted on the event website:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/WaterGapParking.pdf

And of course, the message board should **always be monitored** for any last minute updates or changes.

Have a safe ride!

*** Update #1 (7/8)  ***
Don Jagel completed a volunteer preride this past weekend and sent the following ride report:

Overall, road conditions were good, with no major obstructions, or detours.  During my ride, traffic was light, even in Port Jervis.  Several locations riders should take some extra caution include:

Mile 0.0: A construction zone at the very beginning of the route on Broad Street, before turning onto River Road.  The traffic is squeezed into a single lane, so be aware of any inattentive drivers.

Mile 19.4: Deli is closed for business.

Mile ~43.0 On Kimble/Martin Road (about 43 miles), which is the road that passes all the big satellite dishes, I did notice a pothole/collapse starting to develop over a culvert.  This hole is currently only about 8 inches in diameter and more than 1 foot deep, and will probably grow over time.  No big deal, and easy to avoid.  Most riders will probably not even notice it.

Mile ~95:  Along Jager Road (about mile 95) a partial road collapse has traffic squeezed to the left side of the road for a short distance.  Be aware of traffic coming down the hill towards you as there is limited space.

Mile ~125.1  At the end of the ride, as Old Mine Road passes under Rt. 80, there is a construction zone that is set up with concrete Jersey barriers.  Be careful passing through this area and be sure you stay in the travel lane (towards the left), as it is possible to end up on the wrong side of the barriers.  Also be aware that there are several grooves in the concrete roadway that could potential catch the tire of an unsuspecting rider.  There is no shoulder to the road in this area making the sharp left hand turn onto the sidewalk over the Delaware River a bit more difficult if traffic is heavy.

Based on what I saw, the upcoming ride should be quite an enjoyable July ride.  A good portion of the route is shaded keeping hot temperatures somewhat bearable.

*** Original Post ***
With the hot summer weather upon us, the July 13th Hawk's Nest 200k course will be heading north into Promised Land, where the temperatures are typically several degrees cooler.  Most of the route is shaded, which will also bring some relief from the heat.  Riders typically finish this course about an hour faster than other Eastern   PA 200k's.  Event details are at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/R12ClubJul1.html

If you liked to join the roster, please send me an e-mail by Thursday.  A volunteer preride is planned for this weekend, so be sure to monitor the website and PA message board for any updates, as always.

Course Notes:
-If you've never been across the Rt 80 bridge near Water Gap, it's a little bit tricky.  You need to look for a sidewalk/ramp about 50 yards past the Rt 80 underpass which you will cross under.  The picture below shows the ramp on the left, which is in between the road you will be traveling (on the right) and Rt 80 (far left):


You will be facing on-coming traffic as you go across the bridge.


The Water Gap Diner will be opening at 6AM if you'd like to top off with a good breakfast before the start.

Reminder: Parking is behind the Water Gap Diner -  Directions are posted here:


*** Rider Roster (as of 7/11) ***
-1 Robert Baney
2 Clair Beiler
3 Gavin Biebuyck
4 Jeffery S Butt
5 Judson L Hand
6 Steve Harding
7 Donald Jagel (Organizer)
8 Robin C Landis
9 Maile Neel
10 William Olsen (Organizer)
11 William Reagan
12 Norman Smeal
13 Ivan M Umble
14 Leonard Zawodniak


Friday, June 7, 2013

PA600k/200k Ride Report

Amish bicycles, complete with milk crates, parked at church yard for Sunday service
Photo compliments of Nigel Greene

16 riders clipped in for the PA600k and 8 additional riders came out for just the 200k loop on day two of the 600k.  13 finished the 600k and 7 finished the 200k: Preliminary 600k results have been posted at
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/PA600k_Results130601.pdf
... and the 200k results are at:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/PA200k_Results130602.pdf
... please let me know of any corrections or other issues.  Results will be submitted shortly, and become final, pending RUSA/ACP certification.

A week before this event, we had temperatures in the lower 40F's.  So the low 90F's and first heat wave of the year was truly a shock to the system for the participants this weekend.  A mere two weeks ago, at the end of the PA400k, Ed Dodd remarked about having trouble with the chilly and wet conditions of the last 70-miles into the finish -- but by the end of the 600k on Sunday, I bet those chilly conditions didn't seem so bad after all!

Of note, 8 riders have completed their Eastern PA Super Randonneur series:
1 Gavin Biebuyck
2 Ed Dodd
3 Guy Harris
4 Donald Jagel
5 Robin C Landis
6 William Olsen
7 Paul D Scearce
8 Norman Smeal
And for the first time ever on the Eastern PA series, Guy Harris and Paul Scearce distinguished themselves further by completing the entire series on a fixed-gear.  Congratulations to all and well done!  The Eastern PA terrain can be tough, but these hardy riders proved they were even tougher for all the challenges they faced over the course of four events.  All the SR finishers can look forward to receiving their Eastern PA Super Randonneur plaque at the October event:
.
Also of note, Robert Baney not only completed his first brevet ever, he joins a growing list of first-time participants who also were first finishers -- well done! Robert just needs to complete 11 more 200k or longer events over the next 11 months in order to complete his R-12 series.

Special thanks to volunteers Jon Clamp, Bill Slabonik, Bill Olsen, and Andrew Mead.   Andrew manned the start controle, cooked breakfast, and signed in riders while Bill Olsen helped out with bike inspection.  Thankfully, everybody was mostly paying attention at the rider meeting when Andrew instructed everyone to have "A Safe Ride." Jon Clamp helped out at the overnight controle and also got the 200k riders registered and on their way Sunday morning.  Bill Slabonik also not only manned the overnight controle, but went way beyond the call of duty and stayed to the very end of the event -- a total of 24 hours at the hostel.  Bill has given me advanced warning that due to a conflict, he won't be able to help out again for next year's 600k.  By my estimation, I'll need at least 3 volunteers to do all that Bill did this year!

Nigel Greene writes: "...What a day! What a ride! Much thanks to Jon, Bill and you for putting the New Holland 200k on. I enjoyed the course. The routing through and around French Creek Park was shady and scenic and the back roads to Lancaster are always enjoyable, especially with a tailwind . An unexpected bonus was having the chance to chat with many of those on the 600K. A tip of the hat to them. What an achievement under really hot weather. They just keep upping the bar of accomplishment....
  We rode fast before the day had begun
  in 200k we'd be done
  I'm writing real quick
  in the town of Limerick
  because OH OH here comes the sun..."

You can read Nigel's eloquent ride report at:
http://eprider.blogspot.com/2013/06/new-holland-200k-skipping-rocks-over.html
and his photos at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/58781331@N07/sets/72157633887363613/

Gavin Biebuyck writes: "...That was a hot one – I must have drank more than 3 gallons of fluids Saturday!  Brief thunderstorm on Old Mine Road cooled me off for half an hour or so and was much appreciated.  My plan to ride through the night to stay cooler seemed to work but humidity levels rose at night.  Got to see some wildlife ranging from deer/fawn on Old Mine Road to a fox sprinting for 50 yards or so in front of me near the hostel to a few Saturday evening partiers on Ridge Road!  The course tweak along Rt 724 to Shed Road was nice riding at night with only 3 cars passing me on Rt 724 and no cars at all along Shed and through French Creek to Morgantown.... As I was leaving the New Holland control at 4:30 am I heard a voice saying “you must be a through rider” and looked back to see a bike with a light.  It was Patrick O’Donnel (he lives in New Holland) returning from a 24-hour training ride!  He had ridden to Philly to Cape May, NJ, taken the ferry to Cape Henlopen, DE and ridden home (308 miles).  He is training for the National 24 Hour Challenge in Michigan in two weeks.  He switched from his Long Haul Trucker and jeans to a new Surly Pacer, bike shorts and clip-in shoes but was still wearing a T-shirt!  Patrick rode with me to Churchtown before returning to his house.  Helped keep me awake in that pre-dawn hour when I usually fell sleepy. ...Great talking to the Pittsburghers Jim and Dan and nice of them to cross the state for the 600.  Thanks to Andrew, Jon, and Bill for helping out and serving food to us all night and all day.  Once again a wonderfully organized series with beautiful challenging rides....
  I am soon turning fifty
  I thought this ride would be nifty
  My arms a bit burnt
  But I think I have learnt
  Riding in pain is shifty..."

Larry Midura writes: "..Just want you to know how very much I enjoyed your 2013 600K route past weekend.  The French Creek outbound leg with the PA Bike S route starting on Churchtown Road was a great tweak for the 2013 version.  I enjoyed that much better than the straight shot on Rt. 23 to the New Holland Control from last year.  As usual, your brevets attract a great group of experienced cyclists - the camaraderie of which I really enjoy. Riding through French Creek State Park has always been a most enjoyable segment of your rides...."

Guy Harris writes: "...The route tweaks for the second day 200K part were perfect. I had forgotten just how nice Shed and Park are to ride, especially early morning. The longer time on route 724 was good - especially just before sunrise. Using Limerick Ctr Road to avoid Linfield Rd was much  appreciated. Thanks to Andrew, Jon, and Bill S. for all the help and many thanks to Tom for organizing another great series...."

Bill Olsen has notched his 5th Eastern PA SR series, and will be clipping in for his 2nd 1200k this year, riding the Shenandoah 1200k, starting on Thusday.  You can follow his progress on SPOT tracker PA5 at this link:
http://bike.talloakfarm.com/spot_map.html
... as of Friday night, it looks like Bill has managed to dodge most of the rain from tropical storm Andrea.  Bill writes: "...Thanks for another great SR season!  It is great that you were able to offer route options for the 200 and 300s and perhaps we can include additional 400 and 600 option in the future... Thanks also to the volunteers, Andrew for greeting the Friday night arrivals, and seeing us off on Saturday morning and Jon and Bill for taking care of us Saturday night and Sunday morning, and Bill for spending the day waiting for all of us to return.  Having them wait on us as we arrived in on Saturday helped to keep us going for what was ahead of us Sunday.
  There once was a biker named Bill
  Who to him, the 600k was a thrill
  So imagine his surprise
  When he opened his eyes
  And saw the 200k riders still at the bottom of the hill..."

Victor Urvantsev unfortunately had his 600k ride come to an end with a complete rear wheel failure near Port Jervis.  Victor writes: "...Thank you very much for organizing this weekend's brevet. The course was scenic and well balanced. Kate and I were looking forward to earning our PA Super Rando badges but alas, it was not to be. I was thinking about stopping at Port Jervis bike shop to try and convince the owner to sell me a wheel off one of his bikes (he had no spare wheels, I called up the shop before) but decided to go on since the wheel was not getting any worse. Well, it got a lot worse, and quickly! I certainly appreciated that we didn't end up being halfway between the controls and could wait for our rescue wagon in the comfort of Dunkin Donuts sipping coffee as opposed to sitting on the roadside in the middle of nowhere watching cars go by. ... It looks like I'll be firing my wheel builder (that's me). What's interesting is that the wheel held up for the last year without a problem or even need for truing and then blew up in such a spectacular fashion within 80 miles. Anyway, lesson learned. Kate and I will be heading for NJ 600k next weekend to complete our qualification for the Endless Mountains..."

Kate Marshall, Victor's riding partner, writes: "...
  There once was a cyclist named Kate
  Who rode in brevet with her mate.
  She cried out, "Let's Ride"
  "Make it Quick" he replied
  We have to get rolling by eight! ..."

David Eisenberg writes: "...I just wanted send a quick thank you for running the New Holland 200K this past weekend.  The route was beautiful.  I enjoyed the journey through Amish country with the horses and buggies as well as all of the Amish cyclists....Unfortunately, as you know, the heat and some stomach issues delayed my progress over the numerous ups and downs of the ride and caused me to miss the time cutoff in Limerick on the way back...
  There once was a sad clown from Morristown
  He would often pedal around town
  He would huff
  and he would puff
  Finally, all the pedaling would take away the frown..."

Norman Smeal writes: "...The weekend was a bit on the warm side, but it could have been worse... Great ride though....I want to thank all of the Volunteers for devoting their time to the cause, Andrew Friday night, John and Bill Saturday overnight and into the wee hours of the morning and Bill again for the finish.  I had the chance to ride with a little bit of every group along the way.  I got a chance to ride with Victor, Kate, Bill, Don and Gavin in the morning, then the afternoon with Dan, Jim, Robin and Bill, picking up Guy in the evening to get back to the Hostel.  Then Sunday spending lots of time with Robin, caught up to Ed, then Dan caught up to me, then we flipped flopped the afternoon, cashing in on some extra bonus miles before New Holland.  Seeing all of the 200k folks is always fun, they seem so full of energy....Thank you Tom for puling the whole event and all of this year brevets together...
  $95 dollars to Tom is still due
  For the 600k, which is attempted by a few
  The ride was success
  I, as well as the others who rode with little rest
  Are happy the brevet series is through..."


Don Jagel writes: "... I just wanted to let you now how much I appreciate all of the work you put into making the Eastern PA series happen.  Also, a great thanks to Andrew, Jon and Bill for there extraordinary efforts.  I cannot begin to even say  enough great things about the effort from all involved! ... As you, and I think most of the volunteers know, I had a gravity challenged day....It was good to see you on my way south from Portland.  ... Again, I appreciate your concern about potential injuries.  Wearing a new white arm coolers (which work great by the way) really soaked up the blood, and made a minor abrasion look like my entire forearm had been ripped off....Overall, Saturday was a very good riding day.  The temperatures, although warm, were a nice change from the recurring cold weather well into the end of May.  I ran into a brief thunderstorm south of Port Jervis, but my timing was perfect, as I dove beneath an overhang in front of a church for 15 minutes to take in some food, drink, and miss the rain....On Sunday, there was a headwind on the way out to New Holland, which meant a welcome tailwind on the way back to the Hostel.  I was glad I got an early start, as Sunday seemed to me to be much warmer than Saturday.  About 1.5 miles from returning to the Hostel, just before getting to Route 313, my rear tire starting getting soft.  Being sooo... close to the finish, I just topped off the tire with some air to get me back to the Hostel (who really feels like repairing a rear tire flat so with less than 10 minutes to completion of a 33+ hour ride).  When I got back to the Hostel, there was Bill to greet me, feed me, and take care of all my needs... This 600K was not the easiest one I have completed as a result of my minor personnel challenges, but it could have been much worse ... and the important part was that I really did enjoy the ride!  ...Thanks again to all involved...."

Dan Aaron writes: "...Thanks for another great route.  And thanks again for lunch and cue sheet replacement at the diner. 
  From Weisel to Limerick by night;
  could be such a hair-raising fright,
  Alone in the dark,
  but a walk in the park,
  thanks to my Dinotte light!

Here's another one:
  Really bad heat and humidity.
  A rainstorm with no visibility.
  Pulled off at that juncture
  with a front tire punture.
  This 600 just proves my stupidity. 

... and one more:
  Though Susan's been riding quite well,
  She skipped the 600 from hell.
  She looked pretty smart
  by not taking the start.

  She'll find another this year I can tell.
..."

Mike Anderson writes: "...
  I come from Mass
  then sweat up Little Gap pass
  my friends ask me why
  what, are you high?
  I say only Randonneurs know its a gas..."

Dan Blumenfeld writes: "...
  While roaming the town Limerick
  I slather my fanny rather thick
  My efforts of rhymn
  Were not worth the time
  And likely will just make Tom sick ..."

Robin Landis writes: "...
  There once was a man from New York
  Who set out to cycle a 600k, oh what a dork!
  He thought its not possible
  But when he got to the hostel
  He said see I'm all done, just stick in a fork ..."

Paul Scearce writes: "...
  Fixed gear brevets are easy
  Except when my stomach gets queasy
  Or the sun gets to hot
  Or the hills go up a lot
  It all doesn't make any sense now, up ahead I think I see a dwarf called sneezy ..."

Grace Pineda writes: "...
  There once was a Randoneuse
  who imagined herself a chanteuse
  When she became sore in the saddle
  She sang a song as she pedaled
  Be gone, you pain on my caboose! ..."

Len Zawodniak writes: "...
  Our RBA, Tom Rosenbauer
  Had us riding for hour after hour
  We had many thrills
  Going up and down hills
  And because of all that, we finished the ride a little bit narrower ..."

This concludes the busy spring series of events -- whew, I'm ready for a little break!  As a bit of a diversion, I'll be blogging along with fellow PA Randonneurs Andrew Mead and George Metzler for Mark Pattinson as he races in the 2013 RAAM.  You can follow all the action at:
http://markpattinson.com/
Mark is looking to improve upon his 2nd place result from 2011 -- with the competitive field, it should be a very exciting race. 


The summer series kicks off in July with the Hawk's Nest 200k.  And of course in August, there's the Endless Mountains 1240k -- there's still time to either register as a participant or help out as a volunteer.  Volunteer opportunities have been posted at:
http://www2.mysignup.com/cgi-bin/view.cgi?datafile=em1240k_2013

Tom Rosenbauer
Eastern PA RBA

Friday, May 31, 2013

New Holland 200k

*** Update 1 (5/31) ***
The current cuesheet is draft 4, dated 5/29/13, with a number of course changes from the 2012 edition.  Previously, there was a long stretch on Rt 23 after crossing the Schuylkill River outbound to New Holland.  This year, you'll head into French Creek State Park via Rt 724, Red Corners, and a climb up Shed. You'll then travel along Lancaster valley back roads after passing through Morgantown.  This is actually a route option we used in previous years which some of you may remember.  On the way back, the controle in Limerick has been changed to avoid afternoon traffic on Linfield Rd.

Additional Course Notes:
-Mile 23.9: The first controle after the sleep stop is an un-timed post card controle in Limerick.  You will be given a postcard to mail at sign-in, and I'm expecting you to write me some really good limericks on the card before you mail it.  So start working on one now.  For some good ideas, you can read last year's limericks at this link:
http://parandonneurs.blogspot.com/2012/06/pa600k200k-recap-and-limericks.html
About 0.3 miles after the Limerick controle, you'll be passing the Limerick Diner which would be a good place to stop and have a nice sit-down meal.
-Mile 37.4: You'll be traveling a rather long way on Rt 724 and this turn is easy to miss.  There is a spotting cue before this turn that will help you find it.  If you find yourself in Birdsboro, you've gone too far!
-Mile 99.4: Course tweak to get you off of Linfield Rd, which is narrow in spots and carries a lot of afternoon traffic.  Along with this change, the controle is now a Dunkin Donuts, located in a strip mall 3 miles down this road.
-Mile 129.5: Hostel Finish: There will be another large function going on at the hostel and they will be using the big common room.  For the finish, we'll have use of the living room on the right as you walk in the front door, where the volunteers will greet and feed you.

Reminder: the bike inspection checklist has been recently updated:
http://users.rcn.com/trosenbauer/BikeInspectionCheckList.pdf

You will now need to have 2 taillights securely mounted to your frame -- not to a fabric loop on a bag, and not to the back of your jersey (which I've been seeing more of, lately).  I also want you to have some sort of redundant headlight but this doesn't need to be permanently mounted.  You can carry your spare in a bag.  In general, a head lamp attached to your helmet is not sufficient for a backup, unless you have a way of securely mounting it to your bike.

As you are probably well aware, the weather forecast is for lots of heat and humidity for this weekend.  Given the below average temperatures we've recently had this past weekend, there certainly has not been much time acclimate to the above average heat you'll be facing -- so please take extra caution to keep hydrated and your electrolytes balanced.  Bringing along an ice-sock is highly recommended, along with plenty of Endurolytes.

Volunteers
Jon Clamp will be signing you in, cooking you breakfast, and sending you on your way. Bill Slabonik will meet you at the finish.  Vegetarian chili is on the menu for the post-ride meal.

Roster (as of 5/31)
1 Clair Beiler
2 Dan Brown
3 Jeffery S Butt
4 David C Eisenberg
5 Nigel Greene
6 Althea Grace Pineda
7 Leonard Zawodniak

Please note that the registration fee is $25 for this R-12 event, to offset the additional expense of the hostel rental, breakfast, and post-ride meal.

Have a safe ride!

-Tom Rosenbauer
Eastern PA RBA